This invention relates to the art of plaster casts and more particularly to the art of body casts.
Typical problems with body casts involve patient discomfort and lack of hygiene during the weeks or months a cast must be worn. A body cast as initially constructed covers the anal/genital region of a patient. After the cast hardens, a hole must be drilled or sawed into the cast to provide an opening for the elimination of the patient's bodily wastes. Inevitably, the cast becomes soiled by the patient's defecation and urination. As a result, the cast rapidly becomes unsanitary, unsightly, and develops an offensive odor which worsens with time.
To date there has been no effective way to avoid the soiling of a body cast. Larger cast openings would reduce the soiling but pose an increased risk of the cast breaking, while constant replacement of the cast would impair the treatment of the patient. Therefore, much room for improvement in the art exists.